Review of Sicario (2015) by Kyle T — 12 Jan 2016

Review: Sicario.

Well, it's here. Sicario was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, right up there with Spectre and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Now that I've seen it, I wouldn't dare call Sicario a disappointment, but I wouldn't label it as my favorite of the year. After Denis Villeneuve's underseen gem Prisoners back in 2013, I eagerly awaited his next major film (he made the limited-release film, Enemy, between then and now-I've yet to see it). The two films share the similarities of being intense, suspenseful and bleak, but where Prisoners featured limited venues and focused more on characters' emotions, Sicario is a globe-trotting film (between the US and Canada anyway) that focuses on characters' actions.

Emily Blunt stars as Kate Macer, a young cop who's work in leading teams that hunt down kidnappers and victims hasn't gone unnoticed by the higher-ups. She has a loyal partner in Reggie (Daniel Kaluuya who gets the task of playing possibly the only likeable male character in the movie, and he does a great job). After an investigation goes wrong and two cops from her team end up killed, Kate is eager to find the men responsible. She is afforded this opportunity when a mysterious task force of mixed agencies asks her to join them in taking on a Mexican drug cartel they tell her is linked to the kidnappings she is investigating. She doesn't hesitate to volunteer, leaving Reggie behind at first, but when she realizes she can't trust the strange new men she is working with, she insists on her partner's presence. She has every reason not to trust them. Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) won't reveal what agency he works for. And he's a bit on the quirky side-he wears flip-flops. And his partner Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) is even more mysterious-he doesn't talk much and it feels unlikely to both Kate and the audience that he works for any reputable agency. It doesn't take long observing their unusual and violent tactics for the normally by-the-book Kate to wonder what she's gotten herself into. The team conjures up a dangerous plan to follow a Cartel higher-up to the leader of the whole thing so they can both be taken down, hopefully putting a big dent in the criminal activities. There is also a side story involving a crooked cop with a heart played by Maximiliano Hernandez. This story feels very tacked-on throughout the movie and it isn't until the very last scene that you finally realize the point to it-but it still feels somewhat unnecessary.

Every actor in Sicario brings their A-game and does the best they can with what they've been given to work with. That's not to be overly mean to the script as it is an interesting story, but at times the dialogue seems very generic and some very important characters are often left with little to do. Blunt plays Kate much more feminine than her much tougher roles in Looper and Edge of Tomorrow would have you predicting, but she makes the character feel authentic and she carries the film well-that is until the filmmakers decide to lose her for some time to focus on Alejandro's agendas. This isn't easy on the audience because we're asked to accept him as a protagonist even though he is very violent and unlikeable. Del Toro plays the part well and practically owns the final act of the movie. It is clear Alejandro suffered some horrible tragedy in life-and I wish they would've included a flashback or two to some happier times for him so that we might find it easier to sympathise with him and understand his actions. Other good actors show up for small parts including Victor Garber as Kate's boss, Jon Bernthal as a character I won't reveal, and Jeffrey Donovan as a member of Matt's special task force.

Behind the camera, master-cinematographer Roger Deakins works hard to make Sicario a unique visual experience. He's one of the best in the business (12 Academy Award nominations and still no win-Come on Oscar!) and proves himself once again here. Some of the natural skylines he captures are gorgeous and there is an amazing sequence where everything is seen through infrared and night-vision goggles-fans of the compound raid scene in Zero Dark Thirty will love this sequence. Editor Joe Walker makes sure the film doesn't drag too much. When things start to feel a bit slow, watch out-because something intense is about to happen. The score by Johann Johannsson is one of my favorites this year. Director Denis Villeneuve and writer Taylor Sheridan have made a film smart enough to please critics but mainstream enough to entertain audiences.

Sicario is a film about moral flexibility. We, the audience, are forced to recognize that sometimes good people do evil things because they they believe it is for the greater good and sometime bad people do bad things to protect those closest to them. Other than some lazy dialogue here or there, Sicario's weakest attribute may be what feels like a lack of purpose. While it does open audiences' eyes to the war zone certain parts of Mexico have become do to these cartels, I couldn't help but feel like "That was good, but what was the point?" when the credits rolled. Still Sicario Is an intense thriller that deserves to be seen. 8/10?